This invention relates in general to the handling and disposal of empty containers and more particularly to a device which serves to cut the ends from empty cylindrical cans.
Due to the increased emphasis that has been placed on environmental concerns in recent years, persons and firms involved in the handling and disposal of waste materials have experienced dramatic increases in the difficulty and expense encountered in disposing of various types of waste materials. For example, the residual material that remains in expended metal containers which hold paint, solvents or coatings are in many cases considered hazardous materials by the federal and/or state regulatory bodies that have authority over activities that impact the environment. Consequently, the disposal of the expended containers must be carried out in accordance with procedures that are prescribed by such agencies.
The firms which are in the business of handling and disposing of hazardous waste commonly base their fees at least partially on the volume of the material, especially when transportation costs are involved (whether over land or water). Since the residue in the containers is actually the only material which is considered to be hazardous waste, and since it normally constitutes less than ten percent of the volume of the spent container, the disposal fee is based in large part on the ninety percent of the container volume which is empty. Therefore, it is apparent that the cost of disposing of hazardous waste materials of this type is much greater than it would be if the spent containers were collapsed. Further cost savings could be achieved because of the reduced storage space and reduced problems of handling that would result from the decreased size of the collapsed containers.
Because the bottoms normally remain on the cans, special power machinery is required to collapse them unless the bottoms are first removed. To my knowledge, there have been no manually operated devices available in the past which are practical for use in the cutting of the end from a rigid metal can. It is the principal goal of my invention to provide such a device.
More specifically, it is an important object of the invention to provide a device which functions to cut one or both ends from a cylindrical can so that the can wall can then be easily flattened in order to facilitate its disposal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is operated manually and requires no external power source. This permits the device to be used in areas where electricity and other power sources are unavailable.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is easily operated and requires no special skills or training.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is capable of cutting the ends from cans that vary in diameter. It is an important aspect of the invention that different size cutting heads can be used interchangeably with the same handle and weight, thus permitting the proper cutting head to be installed for the size of the container that is being processed.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character described, a special cutting blade having a configuration to easily and cleanly sever the can end.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a device which is constructed economically and yet includes rugged and durable components that are able to withstand the considerable forces that are applied to them throughout the operating life of the device.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.